Public by Yves Béhar for Herman Miller addresses the need for casual, collaborative office seating.

Spotting a gap in the market for casual, collaborative office seating, San Francisco-based designer Yves Béhar of fuseproject set about designing Public. He says, “I wanted to create a design that would support a more flexible, fluid way of working while addressing the very human need for interaction.”

Made up of three typologies, Public offers “Social Desking” for individuals, “Group spaces” to allow collaboration in proximity, and “Interstitial spaces” which are solutions which convert spaces in between into community space for casual interactions. Open and inviting, the design features collaborative zones throughout, seating elements merge seamlessly into desks, and soft fabrics flow into hard surfaces, breaking down the traditional hierarchies that exist within the typical office space.

Béhar explains, “The idea of integrated spaces for casual meetings went against the traditional thinking that individual and social work habits need to be separated. We believe collaboration doesn’t just happen in conference rooms - it happens everywhere.”

About the Manufacturer: Founded in Zeeland, Michigan in 1905 under the name “Star Furniture Company,” manufacturer Herman Miller is synonymous with the rise of Modern design in America and throughout the world. Under the aegis of design director George Nelson, the company collaborated with such renowned designers as Isamu Noguchi, Robert Propst, and Charles and Ray Eames. In 2012, its award-winning products and services generated more than $1.7 billion in revenue. Innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have also helped establish Herman Miller as a recognized global company.